Liquid-compensating device for bottle-capping machines.



E. C. MILLER. v Y LIQUID GOMPENSATING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINES.

v AIPLIGATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911. 1,050,373.

Patented Jan. 14,1913.

WLM/Lunes z UNITED sTATEs PATENT onine.

ESECK C. MILLER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 IMPERIAL STOPPER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

vLIQU'ID-COMPIENSALING? DEVICE FOR BOTTLE- CAPPING MACHINES.

Specieation of Letters Patent. i

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Application tiled June 29, 1911. Serial No. 635,914.

To all lwhom it may concern.'

Be it. known that I, EsEoK C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark` in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Compensatinfr Devices for Bottle-Capping Ma chines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. i

This invention relates to bottling appliances, and more particularly to a compensating device of a novel type, which is characterized by great simplicity and cheapness of construction. V i Y As is well known, in applying sealing devices to bottles, while the said bottles are supposed to be of uniform height and of uniform diameter of lip, in practice considerable variations exist, andin bottles of cheap manufacture this difference in height for. let us say, pint bottles, may be one inch, or even more. Correspondingly, if the tool by means of which the head of the bottles are formed be carelessly manipulated, or for other causes, the diameter of the head, and more especially, in so far as the application of a sealing cap,if that be used,is concerned, the lip, may vary quite materially. If then a machine comprising, for example, a movable capping head have its bottle supporting table set for bottles of a certain height, and a bottle of greater height than that allowed for be placed on the table, such bottle vwill probably be broken unless some form of compensating mechanism or pressure releasing device be provided. Converselyif the bottle be a little short and no compensation has been provided. such bottle will probably not be properly capped. Where a tapered cap applying throat is used differences in the diameter of bott-le lip have a similar effect. Various forms of compensating devices and pressure releasing mechanism have been devised from time to time for the purpose of overcoming this difficulty, and some of these have been fairly successful in operation.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a. compensating mechanism based upon a principle new to this art, and of great efficiency and reliability, While at the same time permitting of quite simple and inexpensive construction.

Various novel features and combinations of parts are embodied in the exemplii'lcation of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, and these features and combinations will be hereinafter 'referred to and more particularly pointed outY in the apy pended claims.

'While I have shown one form of the device, .I am aware that many variations and changes therein may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, and hence I do not desire to be limited or restricted except by the scope of the claims appended hereto. l

In the drawings which form a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 isa front elevation of a'bottle capping lmachine involving one form of my novel compensating mechanism, the latter being partly broken away to show some of the details of construction.v Fi 2 is, a longitudinal section taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1, the standard and bottling head of the capping machine being shown in side elevation.

Referring to the drawings; a base 1 of any suitable construction carries a standard 2 within which is, in thisrexemplification of my inventio-n, the usual upright shaft 3,v to which'is secured a capping head 4. This head may be of'any suitable or known conf struction, a number of capping heads having been devised from time to time suitable for applying the various types of caps or stoppersto bottles.l 4The head is adapted to be reci rocated by 'means' of its supporting sha 3 in a well known man-ner.

A combined casing and bracket broadly designated 5 is mounted on the standard, being preferably supported by a rib or shoulder 6 provided on the side of thestandard, and beingy locked against lateral displacement by means of a set screw 7, or in any other suitable manner. In the interior of the casing is a chamber 8, preferably of cylindrical form, in which is disposed a lunger 9 neatly fitted thereinto so as to orm an leffective liquid tight partition in the chamber which movable 'longitudinally thereof. This lunger is carried by a stud or shaft 10 which is firmly Asecured thereto; the lower extremity of the stud being preferably reduced in diameter as at 11 to provide a shoulder, and threaded so that the hub 12 of the plunger may be clamped firmly between this shoulder and a nut 13. The upper extremity of the stud V10 is also preferably reduced in diameter and thread ed at 11ito afford a iirni seat and connection with a table 15, this table preferably having the 'torni oit an inverted cup. The cup forming flange 16 of the table depends around. an extension 17 which projects up- WardliY from the body of the bracket or casing; and :this extension is 'bored for 'the reception oi the shaft or stud 10, which prefere-bly lits neatly therein, and is further annularly recessed as at 18 for the reception et a helical springn 19, the lower extremity oit said spring being seated in the recess 18 and the npoer efnreinity thereoi' hearing against the table 15. rlfhe upper Wall of the chamber 8 may loe provided it desired With a depending lug," 20 against which the hub 1Q et' the plunger is adapted 'to abut. @The spring 19 is placed under son/ie initial coinpression, and it is evident that as the table .5 is driven downwardly in the manner hereinafter described, the plunger 9 Will he correspondingly depressed, and the coinpression of spring4 19 will, oi course, incre se "to some extent. The spring, however, eiehly has a considerable nuniher of fi :ns oi' relatively large diameter, so 'that Vthis increase in pressure is not suliiciently great to loe objectionable T he table may be cessed on its upper side for the reception a cushlening,n pad 21. olf any suitable inaialj and a bottle 22 may he seated upon. this pad.

llhe chafolier t3 is, as aforesaid preferably ci/'lindrical and its anis is in alineinent with et the stopper g or capping` head., Said chain. er is provided -with ports designated 24: at its `pective upper and lower enti-emities7 which ports communicate "h a suitable conduit 9,5. Conduit 25 in -s instance entends f y around charnher 8, being separate hereironi hy the wall 26, Below the gli er 9 is prefer ahly recipiocahle valve 2i'7 which in this inhas the form of a ring, said ring loeproyided with oppositely disposed and in ardly directed lugs 28 which project toward each other, and. between which is mounted one end et a link 29. r1`he valve and link are secured together in any suitaisle manner as hy ineens ol a pin 30; and the lower entreinity of linli 29 is in turn pirotally connected to a crank-arm 31., said arm being mounted upon a short roch-shaft 39. disposed in one side of a cap 233 which coi/'ers the lower extremity oi' the chamber 8; shaft preferably being journaled. through a lug 25e.- 'wliich entends laterally ioni 'the said cap. rl`he crank arin 3l is rigidly connected to this rock shaft, andthe other extremity of shaft has correspondingly secured thereto a second crankn arni cho :tree end oi 'he latter arin is pifotally connected a rod 3 whicl'i eX- n l up in, substantial :allelisn'i 'with the standard 2; the upper extremity of rod 3G being conveniently connected at 827 'to a lug 38 which niay torni a part oi the head 4l. By reason ot the construction shown therefore when the head l is caused. to descend rod 36 being secured thereto also moves downwardly an. equal amount. rllhis rotates the rock-shaft 329 and. the latter in turn rotates crank-arm 319 and thereby moves the vali/e 27 downwardly, although less rapidly than the head fi. rlhe Valve 27 when moved down a sutlicient distance closes the ports 2e.

lt may he here stated that the chamber 8 and conduit or auxiliary chamber lo gether with the cap 33 are intended at all times to he substantially filled with suitable liquid. This liquid may he glycerin, Various oils, or even Water. lt is pieteralolej however, to use some forni oi oil. Cap 33 is secured to the under side ot the easing hy means oli loolts 39, and the liquid holding chambers and passages are substantially liquid tight so that no evaporation oi' the liquid con tained therein is apt to occur. Should any liquid be lost hy leakage, or for other reason the cavities may be refilled hy reino-i'- the plug; i0 which is disposed in a Trent 4.21 in the upper side of the loracliete this rent preieraloly communicating with the conduit or auxiliary chamber 25.

lhe operati-on et the device is as jrolden-s: Having; placed av cap or stopper in the cappingn head 4l, and a bottle upon the pad 21, the capping head is caused descend7 and the cap, if 'that loe 'the :torni of stopper used, is forced down upon the head ot tl e bottle in the usual manner. rif'hereaiier the cappingW head and table 15 descend together through the instrumentality of' the bottle therebetween. ln the meantime the "valve 27 is heing caused to move toward. ports 2d in the manner above described, and when the head has traversed a determined dis t nce9 these ports 'will ne closed.. The descent of the plunger 9 causes liquid to i'iow through ports iii-oni the chamber 8 into and up through the conduit, aid liquid ilowthence through ports Q3 into the upper portion of chamher 8, or in other words, into the space alcove the plunger or partition 9. This flow ci liquid continues while the hottle isloeing pushed downwardly until -ports 2e are closed, in the manner aforesaid. rllhereaifter it is evident that no outlet exists for 'the liquid below the plunger and as the liquidis substantially non-compressihle, the plunger cannot descend farther and hence opposes the advance of the capping head. llfhe parts are so arranged7 however, that the capping head has? at such time., almost reached the end ot its sti-oliea there being hut just sufficient length olf trai/'el left to insure f" i application oi the cap or stopper to the oodle head ihereaiter head nieves un Cil described, ports 24 may be -almost immev diately uncovered, tothereby permit the spring 19 to operate in the manner just described; since the upward movement of the table by saidspring forces the plunger upwardly and thereby impels the liquid in the space above the-latter through ports 23, conduit 25 and.ports 24, to the space originally occupied by said liquid. 'A 3 It isevident that the stroke of the shaft 3 is of determined length and that therefore the capping head has'a determined and fixed' travel. On the other hand, however, the

stroke of the shaft or stud 10 is indeterminate, being dependent upon the length of bottle to be capped. The normal vcycleof movements` of the several parts may briefly be stated as follows: Shaft 3 and head 4 start to move towardythe bottle and the head engages the same; 'the table, plunger and connecting shaft 10 start to move, 'there` fore, at some indeterminate later eriod; the above parts all move together 1n manner aforesaid with equal velocity; then the table,

plunger and shaft. 10, cease to move owing i to the action of the hydraulic lock; and the ing a stopper app head and its supporting shaft 3 reachthe end of their downward stroke by moving a fixed and determined distance after the said hydraulic lock has Vbeen applied, thereby completing the application of the stop er or cap to the bottle. This mechanism di ers therefore radically from devices wherein Huid held in one compartment is utilized to resist the initial downward}movement of a bottle supporting table and which Huid is released or allowed to How into another compartment after a predeterminedspring regulated pressure has been applied to said table. The action of the resent mechanism is positive, while that osuch a mechanism as has just been referred to depends upon a spring. Furthermore there is no tripping act-ion involved in the present construction and the completion of the application of the-cap to the bottle invariably takes place at a certain and definite pointin the travel of the head, as a result of which the 0 Aeration ofthe machine as a whole is ren ered less jerkyand irregular.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A bottle stoppering machine compris- `ying head and a bottle support adapted for relative movement with.

respect to eachother, one of said parts being yieldingly mounted and the otherl of saidA parts having a determined travel, the yieldingly mounted part being displaceable4 by the other through the instrumentality of the bottle'to be capped, a casing adapted to hold liquid, a liquid displacing plunger in said casing, force transmitting means 'between said yieldingly mounted'part and said plunger, and means for preventing displacement, of liquid by said plunger after the part. having a determined travel has `reached a determined point in said travel.

2. A bottle stoppering machine comprising a stopper applying head and a bottle support adapted for relative movement with respect to each other, one of said parts being-yieldingly mounted4 and the other of said parts having a determined travel, the yieldingl' mounted part being displaceable by the ot er through the instrumentality of the bottle to be capped, acasing adapted to hold liquid, a liquid displacing plunger in said casing, force transmitting means between said yieldingly mounted part and said a plunger in said casing, movement of said v yieldingly mounted part displacing liquid 1n said casing, and lmeans -co-acting with said liquid holding casing and plunger for plunger, and means for preventing displacevlos plreventing said yieldingly mounted memberll om ,yielding after' the member having a. determined travel has reached av determined point in said travel.

4. A bottle stoppering machine comprising a sto per applying head and a bottle supportl a apte'd for relative movement with yie dingly mounted and the other having a predetermined travel, the yieldingly mounted partl being displaceable by the other vthrough `the instrumentality of the bottle to support, a ported receptacle adapted to hold liquid, means for forcing liquid through a respect to each other, one of said .parts being' iso im noso port in said receptacle, said means being operable by a movement oi said bottle support, and means for closing said port at a determined point in the travel of said capping head.

6. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a reciprocable capping' head, a bottle support, a ported receptacle adapted to hold liquid, means 'for forcing liquid through a port in said receptacle, said means being operable by a movement of said bottle support, meanstor closing said port at a determined point in -the travel ot said capping head, and means whereby said liquid may ret-urn 'to the portion of said receptacle 'from which it was displaced.

7. in a stoppering machine having a compensating device, a ported casing adapted' to hold a liquid, a valve adapted to close a portin said casing, a plunger adapted to displace liquid through said port, means adapt-ed to co-act "With the receptacle to be stoppered for depressing said plunger, and means for actuating said valve, said last mentioned means being operable by the rst mentioned means.`

8. ln a bottle capping machine, a capping head, a yieldingiy mounted support for the bottle, a casing having therein a chamber and a conduit leading substantially :trom one end of said member to the other, and having ports in the Walls of said chamber connecting With said conduit, a piston in said chamber operable by said bottle support, and a valve `tor one oi said ports.

9. A bottle capping mechanism comprisH ing a reciprocable member hav-ing a stroke ot determined iength, a reciprccable inember operable by the rst mentioned meinber through the instrumentality et the bottle ber, saidftirst mentioned member being movable through a determined portion of its stroke after the second member has ceased to move,

10, A bottle capping mechanism compris ing a reciproca-ble member having a stroke oit determined length, a reciprocable member operable by the first mentioned member through 'the instrumentality ot the bottle to be capped, said last mentioned member havin a stroke ot indeterminate length, and a ydraulic device, constituting a lock, for limiting the movement oi' said second member.

11. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a reciprocabie member having a stroke of determined distance, a reciprocable mem ber operable by the irst mentioned member through the instrumentality ot the bottle to be capped, said last mentioned member having a stroke of indeterminate length, and a hydraulic device, for limiting the movement of said second member, said device comprising a helio-W ring shaped valve, and a ported structure 'with whichsaid valve c0- operates.,

'in Witness whereof, l subscribe my signature, in the presence of tvvo witnesses.

ESECK C. MLLER.

Tiiitnesses TWanne El Ciment, Wierden C, Laer. 

